The Story Behind Caeleb Dressel and His Omega Ambassadorship
At the Olympics, the difference between gold and nothing at all comes down to hundredths of a second. Caeleb Dressel knows this better than most.
A perfectionist, Dressel has honed his start, his turns, his stroke. His relationship with Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega began after he touched the wall 0.06 seconds ahead of Australian Kyle Chalmers in the 100-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Games, winning his first individual Olympic gold and setting a new Olympic record.
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“Omega looks for ambassadors who demonstrate the values of excellence and quality, those who raise the standards of their craft and are always willing to push the boundaries further,” Omega president and chief executive officer Raynald Aeschlimann writes in an email to WWD. “Caeleb is the perfect symbol of that spirit. He and Omega share a strong connection to the Olympic Games, and his seven gold medals and multiple world records at that competition are proof of the outstanding benchmark he has set in his sport.”
The Paris Games will be Omega’s 31st as official timekeeper. On the cover of WWD Weekend, Dressel wears the Paris 2024 edition of the Seamaster Diver 300M. The watch has a gold bezel invoking the coveted Olympic championship medal, along with the Paris 2024 typography on the date display and the Olympic emblem on the tip of the second hand.
“The smallest difference in time matters so much in my sport and career,” Dressel adds. “Knowing that Omega watches are the most precise and accurate watches, gives me a sense of trust. Looking at the panel at the end of the pool, with the Omega logo, displaying my time in a race, is a feeling so hard to describe. It shows months and months of hard training, all sum up in seconds.”
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